The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-16

| in the language Of Mr.. Gladstone, whose sin
equality lies imbedded in the very base of social
structure" and the illiteracy of whose people is
! "a per cent. as compared to per cent IN TINS
| country Eliminate the foreign element from
the ranks of Socialists in this country,
and there is but small following. These
foreign elements chiefly the followers OF Las
sale. and come from country with greater
per cent. of illiteracy than that of France. So
| it is that incompatible public-school
/ system is the safety of this country Educated
| in the spirit and genius of our own institutions,
our people become self-reliant and independents.
and they acquire homes. as the people of no other
country in the world do.
! When the cooperative credit banks of Ger
many established Lassalle, the Socialist
| leader, bitterly opposed them. This move
pointed as it is resulting, in large industrial
savings of the wage classes. and such savings
| mean homes and contentment, and end to
| the wild vaearies of Socialists. In this country
| this cooperation of the classes is rapidly
| gathering strength in the organized building and
savings associations. From this splendid move
| inent there annually thousands of new homes
/ made, and il induces temperance and frugality.
The Henry George socialistic movement
| might succeed in country possessing
the ballot and high per cent of illiteracy. too
| But here it will be days wonder, and will be
gone. The un believing friends of Mr. George
plead that. though in his theories, he
means we'll 1t has been said that "hell is
paved with good Intentions" But there is good
evidence of a total lack of even that his part
He has not followed, In one very important par
ticular, the footsteps of his predecessors in this
agitation. St. Simon sacrificed his ease, and
comfort. and society; Charles Fourier put into
1t his wealth; Mr. Owen poured out his money,
and even the Rappists risked life and all. What
has Mr. George done? His theory is that labor
shall share the profits of production. He pro-
duced the book on Progress and Poverty"
which has brought him large of
money. He has not shared it's prof
its with the printers and binders.
All other great reformers put their lives on tho
line of their advocacy and theories. Mr..
George stands the exception of all that have
claimed to be any more than demaeoeues. His
land and wage theories appeal to the avarice of
men, and ne smart enough to see that such
an appeal would sell his books. Whatever
tremes the abnormal social structures of Euro
pean governments may produce abroad, there
is reason for such movements in this coun-
try. William NJ. Evarts tersely said that this
was a country sin which every laboring man
has the same share. every ignorant man has the
same share. every feeble has the same
share, in political power with the rich and the
strong, and the learned" Lately the London
Times ackuowIedged that s'seventy-two parts of
the wealth in the United States go to labor.
twenty three to capital, and five to government"
brit that just the reverse was true as to Great
Britain.
The predicate of the Socialist theory is that
'the rich are growing richer and the poor
poorer" In its application to the people of the
United States nothing could be more untrue.
Those who have combated that theory have
contented themselves generally with asserting
their conclusions. that seemed obvious to
thoughtful people, and those who have held it
and still hold to it, applied in this country,
desire to do so In support OF distorted views of
economic questions, and. perhaps, because few
have gone to the trouble to collect the facts
futing the falacv. This class of pes
simists, if not themselves Socialists, turn
backward to what they declare were better
times than these. and it is pretty hard to
vince one that he is in error who had preconcep-
tons that override facts, and who does not
want to know the truth.
Such statistical facts are at hand show that
the social condition and wages have advanced in
about the ratio of the decrease of illiteracy in
this country. In 1890 farm laborers paid
~-~l,x L~lE
that sum to buy coarse cotton shirt Women
received for Homework % cents per month, and
at the spinning wheel two could earn IL cents
cents per day. In 1916 farm hands were paid 81
per month, and as late as 1929. before the devel-
opDent of manufacturing in this country. men
received 40 cents per day, and the maximum
wages of women was 25 cents per day. Without
further tedious tracing of the facts down
it may be stated that in the ratio of the de-
crease OF iiliteraey so have been the increase of
wages, and barring exceptional periods. over
Swallowed by local causes, the social condition
has improved along these lines till to day is the
brightest ana best in this respect, in the his
tory OF any nation earth. and the per cent. of
iliteracy s the lowest. The law of primogeni-
ture does not obtain in this country and the law
of Inheritance rapidly works the disintegration
of wealth and large estates. writer 20
litcal economy states that statistics are con-
elusive to the point that "the average life OF
capital IS not equal to the average life of man."
The cause of the mistake that many make is
that the great fortunes made by the few blind
their mental vision to the thousands of other
be human nature to envy great wealth. But,
in fact what has the concentration of the great
capital in railroads resulted in AS it effects the
peopel Two three few years ago
grasped the idea of the consolidation of the four
or five distinct railways connecting points be-
tween the West aud Eastern seaboard. That
consolidation has reduced the time of transit
between these points more than so per cent.
and made like reduction in the cost of it. Moo
only SO, but even greater reduction was made
freights, till a ton of freight is hauled
thousand miles by rail for q less sum than it
costs to wagon it from one depot TO another in
any city. If these men have made fortunes,
they have also brought greater good to the mill
ions of this country. And SO, it
man of genius that invented the telegraph,
appliances that bless the land. 1t must be re-
membered that mental labor is great
factor in the social problem hand labor. to say
the least, and that the natural law OF supply and
demand fixes the value of such labor, well as
in the other case. If there had been ten thou
sand such preachers as Henry Ward Beecher, it
is likely that Plymouth pulpit would have been
supplied for less money and like number of
like able men would have given the Pennsylva-
MIA Railway Company president for a less sal
ary And so through all the ramifcations of the
industrial world. One of the great faults of
Adam Smith, Ricardo and other writer's po-
ltical economy was that they nearly or quite
ignored the factor of mental forces in
the problem Of economics, as in their day these
were not so pronounced as now in public enter
Prise indeed orain power mas SO organized, ana
go directs, physical labor 60 be not only
blessing to it but in the greatly increased vol
ume also blessing to every And thus it |
is that mental forces the chief factor in
the great social problem, and, under natural law,
command their price. odds what the envy of |
poor weak human nature.
But what are the palpable and uudenable |
facts respecting the elittering generality of |
cialism, that 1.-The rich growing richer and |
the poor poorer" 1t may not be hoped that |
those who are controlled By prejudice will be |
Of their mistaken views, even by stub
born facts, and yet there those who allow
facts to control them in conclusions.
The records of the city of Indianapolis and
Marion county for a recent decade show the fol-
lowing facts, as TO what classes growing in
wealth:
1876. 1886
No persons owning 500 of prop
erty and not over 8 600 --...-- 10 796 Is, $50
No. persons owning $40 600 of prop
erty and over..--..--.--...-. 1,77O 1886
Thus it is that for the last decade the